Food container



Aug. 15, 1961 2,9 ,2

C. W. BARR FOOD CONTAINER Filed 001,. 28, 1958 INVENTOR. CHALMERS W.BARR ATTORNEY United States Filed Oct. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 770,094 7Claims. Cl. 229-40 This invention relates to food containers, and ismore particularly concerned with a bacon wrapper suitable for themechanical packaging of sliced bacon and the like and a process ofsealing said container.

In the past, bacon wrappers have been formed of cardboard or paperboard, scored to provide overlapping flanges on two or more sides. Inthe conventional packaging of bacon, the staggered slices approximatingone pound of bacon are placed by hand on the base portion of the priorart bacon wrapper and these flanges are then folded by hand over the oneend and side of the pile of bacon, the two flaps being joined togetherby inserting a tongue or edge from one flap through an opening or slotin the other flap. Next a transparent heat sealable film is wrappedaround the cardboard wrapper and sealed either by hand or by machine. Itis obvious that, to complete the packing of such prior art baconwrappers, a relatively large amount of hand labor and transparent filmis required.

The present invention contemplates a bacon wrapper which uses arelatively small amount of transparent film and is suitable for beingmachine loaded and sealed without the usual manual handling. Briefly,the bacon wrapper of the present invention includes a wrapper memberformed from a substantially rectangular blank of cardboard or paperboard, cut and scored to provide a base and a single flap to overlie theentire base, the flap being substantially coextensive with the base sothat upon being folded, the three sides of the perimeter of the flapregister with three sides of the perimeter of the base and there is acommon fold line forming the fourth side. The central portion of thefiap is provided with an opening through which the bacon may be observedand this opening is provided with a transparent film window secured tothe flap along the surface adjacent the opening. Suitable heat andpressure sensitive adhesive, around the contiguous edge portions of thebase and flap, seal the flap to base; and a paraflin wax coating, onboth sides of the blank, seals the package against moisture, grease andthe ambient air.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a baconwrapper suitable for being machine packed with bacon or the like andmachine sealed thereafter.

Another object of my invention .is to provide a bacon wrapper whichrequires a minimum amount of wrapping material and a minimum amount oftransparent material,

while at the same time permitting inspection of the product through thetransparent material.

Another object of my invention is to provide a bacon wrapper which willreduce the amount of labor required to package the bacon.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved process ofenclosing food in a container.

Another object of my invention is to provide a bacon wrapper havingadhesive which is capable of being applied to the surface of the wrapperin the printing stage before the wrapper is coated with p-araflin.

Another object of my invention is to provide a bacon wrapper which willseal the bacon on all sides from contamination and yet allow inspectionof the bacon within the wrapper.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following tent description when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters ofreference designate corresponding parts throughout the several viewswherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank cut and scored to form my baconwrapper.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bacon wrapper formed from the blankof FIG. 1 with a transparent film installed as the window and adhesiveapplied along the perimeter of the blank.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bacon wrapper 0 FIG. 2 receiving theusual quantity of sliced bacon staggered so as to be viewed through thewindow.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bacon wrapper and bacon of FIG. 3,,the flap of the bacon wrapper being folded over the base to form asealed package ready for purchase by the consumer.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment chosen for the purpose ofillustrating the present invention, it being understood that thedrawings are for the purpose of disclosing the preferred embodiment andare not to be construed as limiting the present invention, numeral 10denotes generally a rectangular cardboard or paper board sheet or somelike sheet of material suitable for packaging bacon. Midway of sheet 10is a medial score line or fold line 11 which divides the sheet 10 into abase 12 and a flap 13. Flap 13 is foldable along score line 11 intoregistry with base 12. Diagonal score lines 14 extend from the cornersof flap 13 for purposes to be described later.

Spaced about three-fourth inch in from the side edges of the oppositeside border positions 5 and 6 of flap 13 are score lines 9 which areparallel to each other and the outer edges of border positions 5 and 6.Score lines 9 extend between diagonal score lines 14 as shown in FIG. 1to define adhesive receiving areas as will be pointed out hereinafter.

The central portion of flap 13 is cut away to provide an opening 15, theextremities of which are generally congruent with the perimeter of flap13 but position slightly toward fold line 11 so that the side borderportions 5 and 6 and outer border portion 7 are about two and onefourthinches wide while the inner border 8 is about one and one-eighth incheswide. A suitable adhesive 25 is provided around the inner surface offlap 13 on these border portions adjacent the opening. A sheet oftransparent flexible film 16 such as cellophane, polyethylene, celluloseacetate or rubber hydrochloride is secured in place by adhesive 25 so asto close the opening 15. This film 16 thus provides a window throughwhich the interior of the wrapper may be viewed.

Around the perimeter of blank 10 on the same side as adhesive 25 is anarrow strip of thermoplastic or heat sensitive sealing means which,when the flap 13 is folded into registry with base 12 along fold line11, the adhesives 17, 18 and 19 adjacent the three edges of flap 13 areadapted to adhere respectively to the adhesives 20, 21 and 22 adjacentthe three edges of base 12 so as to seal flap 13 against base 12 attheir contiguous edge portions.

If desired, the entire inner surface of blank 10 may be coated with acontinuous layer of adhesive. It is important, according to myinvention, that at least adhesives 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 be selectedfrom one of the many materials sealable upon the application of heat andpressure. Substantially any heat scalable varnish which when driedbecomes plastic above the melting point of parafiin or its equivalentsand is suitable for use as this adhesive, as will become apparenthereinafter.

According to my invention, after the adhesive has been applied aroundthe perimeter of blank 10, both surfaces of blank 10 are coated withparaflin or wax. Such paraffin usually has a melting point in theneighborhood of 120 to 145 F., with lower and higher melting pointparaffins being available. In some instances it will be found desirableto mix the varnish with the parafiin, however, the 'vehicle or solventof the lacquer should be capable of dissolving the parafiin. Forexample, toluene and xylol are suitable vehicles. Thereafter, thisparafiin-varnish mixture is supplied to both surfaces of blank in lieuof adhesives 25, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 and the paraflin.

In use, a pound of sliced bacon 23 stacked in the usual staggeredfashion is placed by hand or machine in the central portion of base 12,as shown in FIG. 3. The package may then be fed by machine conveyor toap- ,propriate mechanisms for folding flap 13 over base 12.

Thence, the wrapper feeds to spaced pairs of opposed heated rollers,heated to a temperature sufiicient to melt the paraffin as well as theresin of the varnish. As the wrapper passes between such rollers, therollers urge the farea .of side border portions 5 and 6 which liebetween 'and therefore upon cooling resolidifies immediately adjacentthe sealed portion to provide additional protection.

In a manner similar to the sealing of adhesives 17, 19, '20 and 22,adhesives 18 and 21 may be sealed in a subse- 'quent or simultaneousoperation. It will also be understood that the wrapper may be sealedbetween a crescentshaped heated disc and platen in assembly linefashion, if desired.

From an examination of FIG. 4, it will be understood that as the bacon23 is being sealed within the wrapper,

the edge portions of flap 13 will be urged downwardly around the bacon23 on base 12 and therefore the portion of blank 10 adjacent diagonallyscore lines 14 will be deformed whereby a slight concavity is producedin flap 13 so that the flap 13 may extend over bacon 23.

4 tangular base, a rectangular flap being in side by side relationshipto said base when said paper board is flat and divided from said base bya fold line, said flap being provided with a central opening, atransparent film closing said central opening, said flap being foldablealong said fold line over said base and being coextensive with said basewhen folded, heat and pressure sensitive sealing means along the edgeportions around the perimeter of said sheet to provide sealing meansadjacent three of the four sides of said base and adjacent three of thefour sides of said flap, paraflin covering said blank and also coveringsaid sealing means, said sealing means adjacent the three edges of saidflap being adapted for registry with said sealing means adjacent thethree edges of said base when said flap is folded over said base, saidflap being deformable by said bacon when said sealing means is urgedinto registry, said transparent film being spaced inwardly of saidpressure sensitive sealing means, said sealing means adjacent the threeedges of said flap being scalable with said sealing means adjacent thethree edges of said base upon the application of heat of a temperature,higher than the melting point of said parafiin whereby when said flapis in registry with said base and upon the application of said heat andpressure to the edge portions of said flap and said base, the paraffinover said sealing means melts and is squeezed from between said sealingmeans as said sealing means seals the edges of said flap and said basetogether.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said flap is provided withdiagonal score lines and said central opening is rectangular.

3. A bacon wrapper comprising a base, a flap over said base andcoextensive therewith, said flap being provided with a rectangularopening in its central portion, a transparent film closing said opening,said flap having score lines diagonally across said flap and beingdeformable by bacon on said base when the edge portions of said base andflap are urged together, and sealing means for joining the edge portionsof said flap to the edge portions of said base, said diagonal scorelines being inwardly of said edge portions.

Under these conditions, window 16 and bacon 23 Will be It will also beunderstood that with the coating of 'paraflin over or comingled with theadhesive, the adhesive will be protected from foreign matter and thebacon 23 .will not normally be contacted by the adhesive. Thus, .thereis little danger of the bacon 23 becoming contaminated by the adhesiveor by foreign matter which might otherwise have adhered to adhesive.

When my wrapper is opened, contrary to most prior 'art wrappers, it neednot be opened completely. Instead the seal formed by adhesives 18 and 21may be broken and the flap 13 peeled back only a distance sufficient topermit removal of a portion of the bacon 23. Thereafter, the flap 13 maybe returned to its original closed position. 'Upon the return of flap 13to its closed position, my :wrapper tends to remain closed because thediagonal score lines 14 will be flexed outwardly as seen in FIG. 4.Also, the paraflin accumulated adjacent the seal may be remolded by thepressure of a persons finger being passed .along flap 13 over that edgeportion so that the paraffin fills any new crevices.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations maybe made in the embodiment herein disclosed without departing from thescope of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

' I claim: I

1. A bacon wrapper formed from a single sheet of :paper board cut andscored to define a closure capable 4. The structure defined in claim 3wherein one edge of said base is integral with one edge of said flap,said flap and said base being divided by a score line defining said oneedge.

5. A bacon wrapper formed from a single sheet of paper board cut and todefine a closure blank capable of retaining a pound of sliced baconcomprising a substantially rectangular base, a rectangular flap being inside by side relationship to said base when said paper board is flat anddivided from said base by a fold line, said flap being provided with acentral opening therethrough, a transparent film closing said centralopening, said flap being foldable into register with said base alongsaid fold line, said flap being deformable by bacon on said base whenthe edge portions of said flap and said base are urged together, heatand pressure sensitive sealing means along at least a portion of theedge of said blank for sealing of registrable portions of said blank,said transparent film being spaced from the sealed registrable portionswhen said blank is sealed, and a wax coating on a surface of said blank.

6. The structure defined in claim 5 including sealing means securingsaid transparent film to the inner surface of said flap and there beingprovided score lines in said blank for spacing of said transparent filmfrom said base when said flap is folded over bacon on said base, saidscore lines commencing inwardly of the edges of said flap.

7. A bacon wrapper comprising a single sheet of paper board cut andscored to define a closure blank capable of retaining a pound of slicedbacon and having a flat base,

with each other, there being provided a central opening in said flapsitchthat a border exists around said central 5 opening, sealing meansalong the outer edges of said blank, and wax over a surface of saidblank, said flap being deformable by bacon on said base when the edgeportions of said flap and said base are urged together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,019,538 Kondolf NOV. 5, 1935 6 Kondolf Feb. 18, 1936 Salfisberg Aug.6, 1940 Mark et a1. Feb. 15, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 5,1904 Great Britain Jan. 10, 1918

